Susan Thayer has lived in Minnesota for 16 years, but she’s still not completely enamored with our winters. So it’s only fitting that what brought her to our frozen tundra was her job with the world’s largest fireplace manufacturer, Hearth & Home Technologies, which transferred her from Atlanta to Lakeville in 2001.

Fueling the fire of her passion for home and design, Thayer eventually went back to school for an interior design degree, paving her path to opening three to-the-trade showrooms. All are southern brands that Thayer believed could use a little more “tender loving care” in the Minnesota marketplace: In 2009, she opened Hickory Chair, followed by Visual Comfort in 2012, and her most recent, Highland House, in August 2016—all at International Market Square.

“A lot of what I was overhearing from my designers who came through Hickory Chair was that their customers were like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is beautiful and I love it, but I think I’ll go to Pottery Barn for the bedrooms, and just do the living room in Hickory Chair,’” Thayer recalls. Inspired, “I thought, let’s offer the customer a quality, American-made product for a lower price point. I wanted to be able to offer our customers the ability to buy from us at all levels.” Highland House at IMS was born. Selling everything from sofas and love seats to consoles and credenzas, Highland House’s price point is roughly 10 to 15 percent less than Hickory Chair’s.

As the owner of three showrooms, a typical day for Thayer begins at 5 am with a trip to the gym—“I have to be in pretty good shape to maintain the stamina needed for the day,” she says—followed by taking time to respond to e-mails and reflect on the business. “And then I’m out and about. I’m trying to be the face of the business. I’m seeing designers in their spaces, I’m seeing their projects, I’m visiting builders, I’m inviting people here to see my business. More than anything, I like to collaborate with other people”—and, of course, she does it all with her southern personality and hospitality. “Southerners are very over-the-top and have a lot of flair, and in all of our showrooms, I feel like people notice that in the level of service we provide.”

But you won’t necessarily find that flair in the products she sells. “Our showrooms are outfitted over the years by learning who our customer is and what they like,” she says. “The culture here is very Scandinavian and more reserved. We tend to carry pieces in neutral tones, and we’ve got a good reputation for that.”

Thayer would consider opening more showrooms, should the right opportunity present itself, she says. “There are three things that make a business successful: people, product, and processes. I am constantly reviewing those three things. But my favorite part about it is making customers happy and helping them achieve their vision of a beautiful space.”

Susan’s Favorite Things

“Is this not the most adorable lamp you’ve ever seen? It’s a true Kate Spade classic design that I would use anywhere in my home to quickly elevate the style quotient.” Lamp,by Kate Spade, from Visual Comfort

“Having enough seating is always a challenge in a busy household. These Hip To Be Square ottomans neatly tuck under Highland House’s Voila cocktail table.” Ottoman,by Candice Olson, from Highland House